Pitcher Tim Lincecum asks for $13 million in salary arbitration, San Francisco Giants offer $8 million

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Tim Lincecum delivers a pitch for the Giants during their Major League Baseball game vs. the San Diego Padres in San Francisco, Calif., on Thursday, July 09, 2009. (Dean Coppola/Staff)

FILE - In this Sept. 20, 2009, file photo, San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Tim Lincecum throws to the Los Angeles Dodgers' in the first inning of a baseball game in Los Angeles, Calif. Two-time NL Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum headed 128 players into salary arbitration Friday, Jan. 15, 2010, with many likely to gain emormous raises in the annual process. Lincecum has been one of baseball's best bargains, earning $405,000 from the Giants in 2008 and $650,000 last season, when he became the NL's first repeat Cy Young winner since Randy Johnson from 1999-02. Lincecum is eligible for arbitration for the first time and figures to earn $10 million or more this year. (AP Photo/Keith Birmingham, File)

OAKLAND, CA - JUNE 23: Tim Lincecum #55 of the San Francisco Giants pitches against the Oakland Athletics during a Major League Baseball game on June 23, 2009 at the Oakland Coliseum in Oakland, California. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Tim Lincecum heads to the dugout following the eighth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at AT&T Park in San Francisco, California, Wednesday, June 17, 2009. The Angels defeated the Giants, 4-3. (Kristopher Skinner/Contra Costa Times/MCT)

In what could be a record-setting arbitration case, representatives for pitcher Tim Lincecum asked for a $13 million salary while the Giants countered with an $8 million offer.

Barring a breakthrough in negotiations, an independent party will be asked to choose one of those figures as Lincecum’s paycheck for 2010. There are no comprises in arbitration cases.

Lincecum, 25, is an unprecedented pitcher, so it was not surprising that agent Rick Thurman asked for an unprecedented price Tuesday. The previous record for an arbitration case involving a player in his first year of eligibility is the $10 million granted to Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard in 2008.

The highest salary ever awarded to a first-year eligible pitcher is $6.25 million, which went last year to Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon.

But there’s never been a situation like this.

Lincecum, 25, is the first pitcher to win Cy Young awards in each of his first two full seasons. He is 40-17 with a 2.90 ERA in his brief career, and is coming off back-to-back National League strikeout titles.

Finding what arbitrators call a “comparable player” is virtually impossible and speculation about what Lincecum might ask for ranged as high as $23,000,001 — one dollar more than C.C. Sabathia, the game’s highest-paid pitcher.

Neither Thurman nor Giants General Manager Brian Sabean could discuss the details of the arbitration figures exchanged Tuesday. But around the major leagues, front offices were watching.

“Mostly out of curiosity,” one executive said. “It’s not about precedent. Chances are your team isn’t going to have a first-time eligible guy who is a two-time Cy Young Award winner — ever.”

One executive expected Lincecum’s camp to ask for even more. He interpreted the $13 million figure as a sign that Thurman expects the case might advance to the hearing stage. (The vast majority of cases get settled before reaching an arbitrator).

“Maybe they thought it’s a number they could defend if it actually goes to a hearing,” the executive said. “If you file an obscenely high number — say $20 million and the Giants offer $8 million — your client ends up losing real dollars. (The $13 million proposal) is still an incredibly high number, but if it’s realistic you give yourself a shot.”

A second executive said the key to the case is the midpoint between the player and the team — in other words, $10.5 million. In a hearing, the executive said, Lincecum’s camp will have to prove that “he’s worth $1 more than $10.5 million and the Giants will have to prove that he’s worth $1 less.” That’s the tipping point for the arbitrator.

“$10.5 million is the magic number,” the executive said.

Either way, Lincecum will get a massive bump from the $650,000 he made in 2009.

The arbitration process was established in 1974 as part of the collective bargaining agreement. Lincecum barely qualified for the process this season as a so-called “super two.” His two years, 148 days in the majors cleared the service-time eligibility bar by nine days.

Arbitration cases will be scheduled for Feb. 1-21.

Earlier on Tuesday, Lincecum agreed to pay a $513 fine after marijuana-related charges against him were recduced to a civil infraction. Lincecum originally faced two misdemeanor charges of mariujana and drug paraphernalia stemming from an Oct. 30 traffic stop near the Seattle area.

With Giants managing general partner Bill Neukom in the courtroom as a sign of support, Lincecum appeared before Judge Darvin Zimmerman in Clark County (Wash.) District Court.

“I’ll try not to let this happen again, move forward and continue with my life,” Lincecum told The Columbian newspaper.